Alaska Airlines announced it will begin serving Paine Field–Snohomish County Airport, north of Seattle, with nine daily flights beginning in fall 2018. The carrier promoted Paine Field as a convenient alternative to Seattle–Tacoma International Airport for travelers in Seattle’s North Sound.
Alaska Airlines said passengers traveling to or from Everett, Washington—home to Boeing—could save as much as 80 minutes on their commute by using Paine Field instead of Sea-Tac.
“Today’s news means less time stuck in traffic on Interstate 5 and more time enjoying your vacation or making the most of your business trip,” said Brad Tilden, CEO of Alaska Airlines. He cited Seattle’s population growth and increasing congestion at Sea-Tac as key reasons for launching service at Paine Field.
Located in Snohomish County, Paine Field has long served as a Boeing test and manufacturing site and is now being developed for commercial service. A two-gate terminal is planned to be built by private-equity firm Propeller Aviation, with construction scheduled to begin in June 2017.
Alaska has not yet confirmed the specific destinations it will serve from Paine Field, but the airline said it plans to operate Boeing 737s and Embraer 175s. The small terminal at Paine Field limits operations to roughly 16 flights per day.